Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Spring Preview

Here in northern California, the past few weeks have been very spring-like. I took these photos of the few cyclamen I have in pots on my deck:


I get a craving for cyclamen in the winter, and when I go shopping for a few plants, I look longingly at all the luscious colors available (red, white, lavender, fuchsia and pink) but I'm always drawn to the same pink ones. I simply can't resist those soft pink petals with the blush of darker pink at their base.


Several years ago, I created a stitched version of these lovely flowers, called (surprise, surprise) PINK CYCLAMEN...


I took a colored pencil drawing I had done of a basket of cyclamen and tent stitched it in the center, and then used it as an excuse to stitch lots of lovely border patterns around it. (I stitched this design on 24 ct. Congress Cloth, a finer type of canvas, with an assortment of #8 pearl cottons and flosses.)

Here's the stitched basket in the center:


I often think, when I look at this piece hanging in my bedroom, that it would also look good stitched just out to the thick scalloped border, and then made into a box pillow.

Anyway, I share these pink cyclamen with you.... just to give all of you in the midst of winter a little preview of spring!

7 comments:

The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure said...

The spring photos are much appreciated here in CH where it is COLD.

By the way, what canvas did the new header photo come from? These are not my colors but I'm intriqued by the patterns....

Jane, treating her eyes while guzzling hot coffee in CH

The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure said...

Never mind--it is Victorian Ribbons!

Jane, treating her eyes again at the LJP website

SueB said...

beautiful flowers and piece - TFS!

Front Range Stitcher said...

Ah, a breath of Spring color, very nice. I love your cyclamen stitching. A balmy 70 in the Denver area too, but no Spring flowers yet. If anything should peek it's flowery head out, a ravenous bunny would take care of it. Chomp.

Theresa said...

This is beautiful!!!!

Lisa said...

I love the cyclamen and the "spring preview" - and yes it has felt like spring here in California...but it looks like the weather has turned a little wet (but we need the rain).
Lisa (www.cadurst.blogspot.com)

Sheila said...

Those cyclamen look almost life-like... beautiful design :)